Meteorological Agency Chief: "Hinnamnor So Powerful That Its Path Is Meaningless"... Concerns Over Human Casualties

"Low Chance of Typhoon Weakening... All Situations Must Be Considered"

On the 5th, as the 11th typhoon 'Hinnamnor' approaches, a notification officer is monitoring the typhoon's status at the Korea Meteorological Administration Policy Briefing Room in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] As Typhoon 'Hinnamnor' approaches, Yoo Hee-dong, head of the Korea Meteorological Administration, stressed, "This typhoon is so large and powerful that discussions about whether it will go west or east are meaningless. Thorough preparations must be made in all regions."

On the 4th, Yoo appeared on KBS 'News 9' and, when asked about the possibility of changes in the typhoon's expected path, said, "The position of the North Pacific High is changing, and due to the location and intensity at the time the typhoon turns, the possibility of a change in the typhoon's path remains open," but he also analyzed, "The likelihood of the typhoon weakening in intensity or scale is low."

Regarding comparisons with past typhoons that caused significant damage to the Korean Peninsula, such as 'Rusa' and 'Maemi,' he responded, "Forecasting and many other aspects have improved compared to before." However, he emphasized, "Human activity has increased and structures have become more complex than in the past. This typhoon may be stronger than Typhoon Maemi, so preparations must consider all situations."

On the connection with climate change, Yoo said, "(The heavy rainfall concentrated in the central region last month) was an enormous 141mm per hour, which cannot be explained without climate change." He added, "There are 24 to 25 typhoons annually, and situations vary by country, so further research on the impact of climate change is needed."

He also expressed concern about casualties caused by this typhoon. Yoo stated, "The key is how to reduce casualties." He urged, "All typhoons last no more than 12 hours at most. Although it may be inconvenient, the public should stay in safe places and take all precautions to avoid exposure to danger."

Meanwhile, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the 5th, as of 2 p.m., Hinnamnor is moving northward at 33 km/h in the sea 270 km southwest of Seogwipo, Jeju City. The central pressure is 935 hPa (hectopascal), and the maximum wind speed is 176 km/h (49 m/s).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.